The quest for a fast, convenient, secure and reliable method to tie and un-tie shoe laces goes back too far to be asserted. The main nuisances with present lace attachments are in dealing with:
multiple bowknots and the length of the lace, PA1 knots slipping, becoming un-tied, difficult to un-tie. PA1 opening the shoe wide enough to put it on and removing it, PA1 frayed laces, dirty laces, broken laces. PA1 1. The improvement permits the convenient, quick, un-restricted opening of the shoe. PA1 2. The improvement eliminates bowknot, and the shoe can be opened and closed tight with two fingers. PA1 3. The tension in the attachment is distributed on the entire lace. No pressure point is anticipated. PA1 4. Attachments do not protrude significantly and are unlikely to cause injury. PA1 5. Locking features insure that the attachment does not come loose during exercise. PA1 6. The breadth of the attachment can accommodate any foot sizes and heights of in-steps. PA1 7. The improvement is discreet and esthetically pleasing. It does not significantly modify the appearance of the product it improves. PA1 8. The invention permits the use of a stronger lace that will give the shoe a clean and neat appearance. PA1 9. The improvement is not expected to change manufacturing costs significantly. PA1 ANNULUS describes a rigid elongated ring attached to the lace to be engaged in a groove or a hole to perform a shoe closure. PA1 FASTENER indicates a tightening device. In the invention, the fastener has a hinged tension lever with either a hole or grooves to reduce the slack. The fastener establishes the tension in the lace when pulling on its lever. PA1 GROOVE ATTACHMENT refers to a situation where the lace can be removed from this attachment with the two ends of the lace immobilized. The groove can be mounted on a protrusion installed on the shoe upper or on a tension lever. PA1 HOLE ATTACHMENT refers to a situation where the lace can only be drawn out of the attachment after liberating the end of the lace. The hole can be through the shoe upper as an eyelet, or be a half ring on the edge of the frontal opening, or a hole in a protrusion, or a hole on a tension lever.
With the present art the lace has to be soft and pliable so the users can tie a durable knot. Cotton is the material of choice to this end but cotton also frays, becomes dirty and breaks under wear.